Stripes
by jamiewalsh
Summary: Freddie wears stripes to school one day and expects Sam to tease him about it, but instead she has different thoughts. ;  Seddie ftw! Inspired by iGet Pranky


**A/N: I was inspired while watching iGet Pranky. Watching the episode, I noticed that Freddie was wearing stripes, but Sam didn't say anything about it. ;) Seriously, in a bunch of the episodes, Freddie's wearing stripes and Sam doesn't mock or anything, and every time I notice, I get giddy. I know the following scene didn't happen, because if Sam and Freddie start dating, it'll be next season during 'iLost My Mind' or 'iDate Sam and Freddie' or 'iLove You.' Yes, those are real episodes names, as revealed by Dan. Woot!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly. Although that'd be flippin' amazing. **

**Enjoy! ~~Jamie**

**Freddie's POV**

Getting dressed for school that morning, I wasn't paying much attention to my choice of clothes. My mind was too preoccupied with thinking about my biology test that day. But as I walked to school with Carly, I realized I was wearing… stripes. Dreaded, horrible stripes. It was a brand new shirt and I really liked it, but I knew Sam would mock me all day.

Although I don't exactly _enjoy_ when Sam makes fun of me, I use it to my advantage. I retort with snarky comments, and it's my way of flirting with Sam. Yes, I know. As strange as it is, it's the truth. I have a crush on Sam Puckett. It is a pointless crush, but one nonetheless. And every day it was growing more from a crush into love. I flirt with her when I can, but it has to be sneaky flirting. She couldn't find out that I liked her, or else… I'd probably be in more pain than when I got hit by that taco truck.

We arrived at school and I prepared myself for Sam's insults. When we got to school, Sam was standing by their lockers, eating bacon (of course). Sam was wearing a purplish-blue plaid shirt. It made her eyes look extra beautiful. She noticed us and waved, and as we formed a little circle, I waited for Sam's first insult of my shirt. But it never came. I assumed she was too busy with her bacon to really notice my shirt. She said something that made me laugh and I hoped she would look at me after hearing me chuckle, but she didn't.

After Carly ran off to follow Mark, the newest object of her affection, Sam and I rolled our eyes and walked off to our homerooms. She finally turned to me and said, "I haven't actually said a real hi to you today."

"You usually don't. It's usually more along the lines of 'Wassup, Fredbag' or something like that," I teased.

She smirked and said, "Right, but that's my way of saying Hi or Good Morning." She looked down at my shirt. "Is that a new shirt?"

Ah, here it is. I smiled and said, "Yes. Yes, it is a new shirt." I then paused so she could commence with her insulting.

"It suits you."

…That's it? That was all Sam had to say? Maybe she meant that I was a dork and the shirt was dorky. I pushed her a little more. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean it's a cool shirt." She shrugged and entered her classroom without another word.

I stood looking at the door with my mouth agape. How did she not have anything worse to say? I was wearing stripes! She hates stripes! Well, on other people. She doesn't mind wearing stripes, and she looks good in them, but it was me wearing them! She hates when guys wear stripes! How did she not have an insult for me?

"Get to class!" Ms. Briggs barked at me from down the hall. I snapped my mouth shut and sheepishly walked to my homeroom a few classrooms away.

###

I saw Carly after second period by her locker and quickly went over to talk to her. "Hey," I said.

"Hi," she responded brightly. "What's up?"

"Look at what I'm wearing."

She suddenly looked up from her books and looked at me. "Excuse me?"

"Look at what I'm wearing," I repeated. I held out my arms for her to look.

She shrugged. "It's a shirt."

"What kind of shirt?"

She looked at me like I was crazy. "It's a short-sleeved polo with red stripes. What's the problem?"

"I'm wearing stripes!"

Carly still stared at me, not understanding. "So?"

"I'm wearing stripes, and Sam hasn't said anything mean about it." I raised my eyebrows like it explained everything.

"Well, maybe she didn't notice."

"Oh no, she noticed. She definitely noticed. You wanna know how I know? This morning when we were walking to homeroom, she asked me if this was a new shirt, then told me it was cool."

Carly scrunched her eyebrows together. "But Sam hates stripes."

"I know! That's my point! Maybe Sam got taken last night by aliens so they could try to possess her self-defense skills, but because they didn't want anyone wondering where she went, they put a clone on Earth. One who looks and sounds just like Sam, but doesn't really know how to act like Sam."

"…Or maybe there's another reason." Carly closed her locker and pat me on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's go to class. I'm sure Sam's just tired and didn't notice your shirt has stripes. There's a reasonable explanation."

###

**Sam's POV**

My mind seems to go blank every time I see him. It had started happening a lot more lately, until finally I had to admit it to myself: I may have a teeny tiny crush on the nub. Okay, maybe it's not so teeny tiny. Ever since our first kiss on the fire escape, my emotions were messing with my head. I wanted to hate him like I used to, but I couldn't.

My silly blank mind kept me from noticing the stripes when he first came into school. Plus I was eating maple-smoked bacon, or as I call it, heaven in a bag. But as we walked to class, I finally looked at Benson and noticed his shirt.

Again, I wanted to hate him for wearing stripes, but I couldn't. For some reason, I didn't mind stripes when he was wearing them. They suited him. It made his chest and arms look broader (although that might be due to him working out lately). Of course, I've been thinking Freddie looks good in anything, so it probably wasn't the stripes I liked, but just the boy underneath them.

After some simple talking, with a possible air of flirtation, I wanted to say something else to him, but I wasn't sure what. I don't know what caused me to say it to him, but I asked him if the shirt was new. What is wrong with me? I had a moment alone with the nub, and the only conversation piece I could think of was "Is that a new shirt?" Oh, I'm an idiot.

He smirked, though, and said. "Yes. Yes it is." At least he didn't tease me for my bad conversation skills.

All intelligent thoughts left my head and those damn emotions took over. A foreign force took over my body and caused me to say, "It suits you." It suits you? I complimented him! It was a vague compliment, but I couldn't help it. It was the truth; he did look very nice in that shirt.

I noticed Freddie's reaction and he looked shocked. I was even more surprised than he was, actually, but I tried not to show it. He asked, "What do you mean by that?" and again I had no control over my body. I said that it was a cool shirt. It's a cool shirt? Why can't I say anything intelligible? I shrugged, trying to pass off my momentary loss of insanity as nothing. Thankfully we reached my homeroom and I could leave him to further contemplate my stupidity. Hopefully he wouldn't think too much into it.

###

**Freddie's POV**

Maybe I was thinking too much into it. I mean, we're all maturing. Sam may have just grown out of her hatred of stripes. It would explain everything. She had even been teasing me less and less. It makes sense.

But… this is Sam. She doesn't really change. And it's true that she's maturing, but that doesn't necessarily mean she would suddenly like stripes.

I have no idea how to look at this entire thing. She drives me crazy.

It's lunch time. It's also time for answers.

I saw the blonde demon sitting at a table waiting for me and Carly, and I sat across from her. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey, Fredward. What's happening?" she asked between bites of her ham sandwich.

"Nothing really, just classes." I tapped on the table, wondering how to bring up the topic I'd been thinking about all day. "So…" I started, not knowing how to continue.

Sam looked at me as she waited. "So…" she pushed.

I had to just say it. "What did you mean when you were talking about my shirt this morning?"

Her eyes widened for a split second, but when I blinked, they were back to normal. Maybe I had imagined it. She finished chewing and cleared her throat. "I don't even remember what I said."

###

**Sam's POV**

Of course I remember what I said. I had been trying to forget all day. And now my worst nightmare was happening. Every time I say something that might accidentally reveal my crush on Freddie, I panic that someone will ask me to explain, and now not only was someone asking me, but it was Freddie who asked. So I lied and claimed I didn't remember.

Freddie frowned and leaned in a little closer, hopefully oblivious to how I was holding my breath in fear. "You said it suited me, then said it was a cool shirt."

I swallowed slowly and pretended like it was no big deal. "So?"

"So you hate stripes!" he said, a bit louder than he meant to. The girls at the next table looked at us, then smiled when they saw it was me and Freddie. Suddenly I recognized them; they were freshmen and self-proclaimed Seddie-shippers who were obsessed with iCarly. I especially didn't want to talk about this in front of them. I got up from the table, grabbing my sandwich and backpack, and I signaled for Freddie to follow me. I went out to the abandoned hallways and stood by my locker, facing away from the way we had just come. The nub came around and stood in front of me.

"Sorry, I just had to get away from those stupid Seddie shippers at the table next to us. The last thing I needed was them staring at us, waiting for us to confess our undying love for each other, while we try to have a normal conversation." I rolled my eyes, and he laughed.

"If that's what they're waiting for, they'll have to wait a long time," he said between laughs. I laughed too, but a part of me wondered what he meant by that. He said they'd wait a long time, meaning it wouldn't happen soon, but it would happen eventually…

###

**Freddie's POV**

OH MY GOD, WHAT DID I JUST DO? I basically said that eventually we'd be together. I just said it as a joke, trying to act like I didn't like her the way the Seddie shippers thought, but my brain mixed up my words and made me say what I really meant. I guess Freud wasn't as crazy as some people thought. **(A/N: Freud had the idea that our brain makes us say what we really mean or think when we try to say something else. It's called a Freudian Slip. Just figured I'd explain if people didn't understand. ~JW)**

I tried to shake it off by continuing to laugh, but I was panicked Sam would question it. But luckily she laughed too; maybe I was overthinking again.

"So what did you mean about the shirt?" I prompted, getting a little closer.

She shook her head and looked down. "Can we just drop this?" she asked quietly.

"No, it's been driving me crazy all day. I'm walking to school thinking, 'Oh brother, what snarky comments will Sam have to say about my shirt,' and I get here and you have very little to say about my shirt and it's all positive. I just don't get it. You hate stripes."

She finally looked up, but she looked off to the right. She looked embarrassed.

"Sam, look at me," I requested calmly. When she didn't, I touched her chin and turned her to me. I was alarmed to see there were small tears forming in her eyes. "Sam, what's the matter?" I got even closer and rubbed her arm.

She sighed. "It's just… you're a nub… but you look good in stripes." She laughed between her tears.

I laughed along with her and flashed her a smile. "You think I look good?" I teased.

She smiled shyly. "It's not rocket science, Fredweird. You're kind of buff now."

I smirked. I had started working out in the last year, in hopes to no longer be just the "tech stooge" from iCarly. I was glad she noticed.

When I was dating Valerie, and even when I was dating Carly, my dream girl, there was always something keeping me from being fully happy. When I finally came to my senses and realized it was because I had feelings for Sam, I ignored all other girls, but I never even had hopes that Sam would feel the same way back. I of course would have said yes in a heartbeat if she wanted me too, but I didn't dare hope for something that I thought was pointless. But a spark of hope came to life when she thought I was good-looking. Oh, please, let her like me back.

###

**Sam's POV**

I was horrified that I finally admit to him that I thought he looked good, but I wasn't as embarrassed now. A part of me thought he liked it, but I refused to get my hopes up that he would be impressed enough to like me back. But I did decide to flirt a little more. Might as well press the envelope while I can.

I stepped closer to him and waited for him to respond to my admission. He delivered. "I'm glad you think so. I hoped you'd notice."

I raised my eyebrows at this. "Really? You hoped I'd notice, or you hoped anybody at all would notice?"

"Of course I wanted others to think so, but you would have been a special treat if you thought I looked good." He gave a small laugh, embarrassed by the turn the conversation took.

I grinned and stepped even closer. Our chests were nearly touching. Goodness, I hope my breath smells okay. "And why would I have been the treat?" I asked quietly. I looked into his deep brown eyes and my legs nearly went limp.

"Because you're…different. Your opinion matters more than the others do." I saw him take in a deep breath and hold it for a bit. He was just as nervous as I was. Maybe… Oh gosh, I hope he likes me back.

###

**Freddie's POV**

There was no turning back now. The conversation had suddenly turned from me asking a question I had been pondering all day to an admission of what we really feel. I'm terrified of where it will go and what I'll have to say. I silently pray she doesn't ask the question I'm dreading.

Apparently God didn't hear my prayer because her next question is "And why does mine matter the most?"

It's now or never. I lean forward enough that our foreheads are touching and whisper, "Because you're perfect, and I want you to like me as much as I like you."

Her blue eyes looked into mine and I saw that every one of my fears were in vain. She did indeed feel the way I did. With a grin, she touched my cheek and pulled me forward into a kiss.

And there were fireworks.

**A/N: There it is! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it! Sorry for all the switching of views, but I wanted to show what they were both thinking. Stay tuned for more fanfics. My next one will be what I think iCan't Take It is about. Love you all, my lovely readers! Stay fresh! 3 ~~Jamie Walsh~~**


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